Report: Tranmere 0-6 Man Utd

Tranmere Rovers’ Emirates FA Cup adventure is over following a defeat to Manchester United in front of a sold-out Prenton Park on Sunday afternoon.

Three goals in the opening sixteen minutes from Harry Maguire, Diogo Dalot and Jesse Lingard put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s visitors in command during the fourth-round tie on the Wirral.

Phil Jones’ header added a fourth prior to Anthony Martial made it five at half-time.

Mason Greenwood rolled in a penalty 11 minutes into the second-half to make it six.

Manager Micky Mellon named an unchanged starting line-up from the side who beat Watford last Thursday night, while Kane Wilson was named on the substitutes bench having re-signed in a loan deal from West Bromwich Albion.

Rovers began with attacking intent in front of the BT Sport cameras, and Morgan Ferrier saw his strike from inside the penalty area blocked away for a corner.

Connor Jennings had the first attempt on goal of the contest, but his volley was straight into the grasp of Sergio Romero.

Kieron Morris then drove forward with the ball following Corey Blackett-Taylor’s cross was thwarted by Romero.

United led on ten minutes through skipper Maguire, who struck right-footed from 20-yards which flew past Scott Davies to find the top right corner.

It was two, three minutes later when Dalot received a Martial pass on the right-side of the box to drill across goal into Davies’ bottom left-corner.

The Red Devils scored their third of the afternoon with 16 minutes on the clock, as Lingard latched onto Maguire’s pass to curl right-footed into the bottom right corner and beyond Davies’ dive.

Not deterred by the deficit, Tranmere looked for a route back into the game, with Ferrier beat Jones down the left, with Romero keeping his shot from a tight angle out.

Blackett-Taylor then sent a low cross from the left which evaded everybody in the area before being cleared to safety.

Centre-back Jones made it four after 41 minutes when he looped a header over Davies from Andreas Pereira’s left-sided corner which dropped into the back of the net.

United’s fifth came after Luke Shaw played in France international Martial, shooting right-footed which took a deflection and found Davies’ top-corner.

The 12-time Emirates FA Cup winners’ notched a sixth after 57 minutes from the penalty spot. Davies brought down Tahith Chong which was awarded by referee Lee Mason, as Greenwood stepped up to convert from 12-yards.

Up the other end, Ferrier broke into the box and fired into Romero’s side-netting having got the better of Jones after being fed through by Jennings.

Pereira’s free-kick from around 20-yards dipped just over Davies’ upright, with United in the hunt for a seventh.

David Perkins was replaced with 66 minutes gone as Mellon introduced Harvey Gilmour.

And midfielder Gilmour was involved in Rovers’ next chance, linking up well with Jake Caprice, who planted across onto the head of Jennings, who glanced wide of Romero’s near post.

Chong forced Davies to push the ball around for a corner with a low shot which bobbled off the turf.

Mellon brought on Paul Mullin and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy in the closing 20 minutes, with the pair into the action in place of Ferrier and Blackett-Taylor.

Mullin struck a free-kick into the Argyle Satellite Taxis Kop Stand after Jennings had been fouled and Morris was on target from distance, but it was comfortable for Romero.

Rovers’ journey in the competition comes to an end and they can hold their heads high for reaching the fourth-round, with the SWA backing them all the way through.

TRFC return to Sky Bet League One attention on Wednesday night when they welcome Sunderland to Prenton Park, 7:45pm kick-off.